Bowden Bowl Observations

-Clemson won an interesting Bowden Bowl last night. All signs pointed to a blowout after the Tigers racked up 21 unanswered points to open the game and went into halftime with a commanding 24-3 lead. The Tiger D was absolutely outstanding in the first two quarters of play, dominating the line of scrimmage,closing on every ball, and just suffocating the Seminole attack in general. The Clemson offense disappeared in the second half, however, and the Seminoles found a way to put together two scoring drives and pull within 6 after Drew Weatherford found Richard Goodman in the promised land with 11 minutes to go in the game.

-This game reflected the inconsistencies that have plagued the Tiger program over the past year. One minute, Clemson can look like a top 10 (and, in the case of last night’s first half, a top 5) team, the next minute, they look like a stretch for the top 25. What happened to the Tiger offense in the second half? How did CJ Spiller not get more touches? Why did the Clemson offense wait until FSU had pulled within six points to regain their first half form? If the Tigers can establish consistency on both sides of the ball and maximize their talent, they are a potential BCS darling and a lock to win the ACC (write this down, and yes, I am considering Virginia Tech here).

-James Davis is an exceptional presence running the football-a pure running back in every sense of the word. He hits the hole with some serious authority and I love his decisiveness and vision; there is rarely any wasted motion in his runs. He’s got a beautiful, compact frame and he uses it very well to finish runs, deliver punishment, and break tackles. He isn’t an ankle breaker and isn’t going to show tremendous elusiveness in tight spaces, but he’s certainly agile enough. He accelerates well and he’s got enough top gear to break off some long runs. I can’t wait to see this guy playing on Sundays-he may not be the next LT, but he’s going to enjoy a long career at the next level.

-CJ Spiller has got some special potential. He’s a burner in every sense of the word, and his burst is up there with anyone in college football. There just can’t be any doubt this guy is capable of running the 40 in the 4.2’s after watching his ability to separate from defenders. His lateral mobility is excellent and he made some FSU D-Backs look plain silly last night. He finishes well, particularly for a guy his size. Spiller is another player who is going to make a lot of noise on Sundays in a few years.

-Jacoby Ford is yet another valuable weapon the Clemson offense has at its disposal, and his burst and top speed are comparable to Spiller’s. With all these weapons on offense, it really makes one wonder just how high this team can climb.

-Speaking of weapons, WR Aaron Kelley impressed me last night too. He gets off the line pretty well and is pretty quick out of his breaks, especially for a 6’5 guy. He’s got plenty of speed to be a deep threat, particularly given his height. He stands to add some bulk (only 190 lbs.), but he’s an intriguing prospect to follow and at the very least looks like he will be very productive this year for the Tiger offense.

-I’m a Cullen Harper fan after watching the game last night He evades the blitz pretty well, has a nice arm, and plays with a lot of toughness. Harper, Aaron Kelly, et. al are the perfect complement to the Tiger running game, provided it can show up on a weekly basis throughout most games (translation: this passing attack can’t be counted on to come from behind or carry the Tigers).

-Drew Weatherford is not the answer for the Noles offense. He’s inconsistent and just plain isn’t a gamer. Bring on Xavier Lee, Bobby Bowden—-your offense could use him.

-Anton Smith is a classic example of a back that doesn’t do anything spectacularly well, but seems to put it all together nicely. He’s a good runner with nice actions and he packs a decent punch at the end of his runs. He’ll be a key cog in the FSU offense this year, and I don’t question Bobby Bowden’s prediction that he’ll have 1,000 yards at the end of the year, provided he stays healthy.

-Preston Parker has a chance to be an excellent college football player. The freshman didn’t have an especially gaudy statistical night, but he showed excellent speed with an impressive burst and some nice shake with the ball in his hands. He’s a versatile player, with the ability to take handoffs, catch passes, and contribute in the return game. Look for him to be a major player for FSU-if not this year, sometime down the road.